Crash of a Canadair CL-215-1A10 near Pontevedra: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1976 at 1800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
UD.13-7
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Santiago de Compostela - Santiago de Compostela
MSN:
1035
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Santiago de Compostela on a fire fighting mission in the region of Pontevedra. In unknown circumstances, the airplane crashed on the slope of Mt Xiabre and was destroyed. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-54E-15-DO Skymaster in Vejer de la Frontera: 12 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1976 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T.4-11
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Getafe - Las Palmas
MSN:
27344
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
28
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane was completing a flight from Getafe Airbase in Madrid and Las Palmas-Gando Airport, carrying officers of the Spanish Army and family members. En route, an engine caught fire and the captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when the airplane struck trees and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Vejer de la Frontera. 12 occupants were killed while 20 others were injured.
Probable cause:
An engine caught fire in flight.

Crash of a Boeing 747-131F in Huete: 17 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1976 at 1535 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5-283
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tehran - Madrid - McGuire
MSN:
19677/73
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
ULF48
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a military logistic flight from Tehran to McGuire AFB via Madrid, carrying Iranian and US officers. The flight took off from Tehran at 08:20 GMT and climbed to a cruising altitude of FL330. After establishing contact with Madrid control, clearance was received to CPL VOR via Castejon. At 14:25 the flight was cleared to FL100. At 14:30 the crew advised Madrid that they were diverting to the left because of thunderstorm activity, and at 14:32 Madrid cleared ULF48 to 5,000 feet and directed him to contact Madrid approach control. At 14:33 the crew contacted approach control and advised them that there was too much weather activity ahead and requested to be vectored around it. Last radio contact was when ULF48 acknowledged the 260° heading instructions and informed Madrid that they were descending to 5,000 feet. The aircraft was later found to have crashed in farmland at 3,000 feet msl following left wing separation. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 17 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
After analyzing all of the available evidence, it is concluded that the most probable sequence of events which culminated with multiple structural failures and separation of the wing began with an ignition of the fuel vapors in the n°1 fuel tank. The damage to the structure in the area of the tank provided positive indications of an explosion. The possibility that the explosion was a secondary result of structural failure caused by excessive aerodynamics forces developed during high velocity gusts and turbulence cannot be completely dismissed; however, the evidence and the probabilities of an aircraft's encountering these unique environmental conditions make this hypothesis less supportable.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker in Cabanillas del Campo: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
60-0368
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Madrid
MSN:
18143/482
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
5481
Circumstances:
While descending to Torrejón Airbase by night and limited visibility, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in Cabanillas del Campo, about 22 km northeast of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Hawker-Siddeley HS.121 Trident 1E-140 in Bilbao

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1975 at 1548 LT
Operator:
Registration:
G-AVYD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bilbao - London
MSN:
2138
YOM:
1969
Flight number:
BA552
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
110
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
10895
Captain / Total hours on type:
1685.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
5359
Copilot / Total hours on type:
782
Aircraft flight hours:
12892
Circumstances:
The taxi drills were actioned by the First Officer and the Flight Engineer during this time and "runway items" were completed after the Commander turned the aircraft through 180° close to the threshold of runway 28, aligned it on the runway centre line, and selected the wheel brakes to park. A power setting of 100 per cent thrust was made, all engine indications were checked as correct, and the engine relight switches were selected 'ON' before the wheel brakes were released and the takeoff run commenced at about 13:46 with the Commander piloting the aircraft. The aircraft accelerated normally ; the First Officer called out the indicated airspeeds at 80 knots and 100 knots and made a call of 'Wet V1' at 117 knots then removed his hand from the throttles. At the time or just after 'Wet V1' was called the Flight Engineer and the First Officer heard a noise which the latter crew member attributed to the aircraft's entry into standing water. According to the Flight Engineer the aircraft appeared to decelerate at the same time that he heard the noise. The Commander felt a marked deceleration consistent with a loss of engine power, whereupon he immediately closed the throttles, called "Abandon", deployed the airbrakes and lift dumpers and applied the wheel brakes fully. However according to the Flight Engineer all engine indications had been normal prior to the closing of the throttles. On seeing a hand close the throttles the First Officer selected emergency reverse thrust on the pod engines, checked the engine indications were correct and maintained the application of emergency reverse thrust until the aircraft eventually came to rest. The First Officer and the Commander checked the indicated pressures on the wheel brake gauges which showed the wheel brakes were fully applied. The initial deceleration felt satisfactory to the crew, then quickly deteriorated and the First Officer formed the impression that the aircraft was aquaplaning. The Flight Engineer then noticed that the aircraft had begun to drift gradually to the left of the runway centreline apparently as the result of a deliberate action by the Commander. Subsequently it became evident to the Commander that he could not bring the aircraft to a halt within the runway confines. Some 200 metres to 300 metres before the end of the runway he turned the aircraft to the left using nose-wheel steering and applied full left rudder. As the nose wheels ran off the runway onto the grass, the aircraft slewed to the left then skidded broadside to the right for a short distance before it came to an abrupt stop at the side of the runway in a right wing down attitude with the right wing tip close to the threshold lights of runway 10. Evacuation drills were initiated and the passengers left the aircraft in a reasonably orderly manner, the majority by slide from the main exit doors and foremost right overwing emergency exit. Catering equipment in the galleys came out of stowage during the accident obstructing access to the forward emergency exit door and preventing use of this exit and its slide during the evacuation. All 117 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the Commander's decision to abandon take-off on a wet runway at or close to V 1 . Contributory factors were the low effective braking coefficient of friction achieved by the aircraft and the failure of the Commander to ascertain the extent and depth of water present on the runway prior to takeoff.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Madrid

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1975
Registration:
N87805
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
16810/33558
YOM:
1945
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft apparently suffered an accident in Madrid. There were no injuries.

Crash of a Cessna 500 Citation I in Barcelona: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1974
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
EC-CGG
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
500-0108
YOM:
1973
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Just after takeoff, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames near the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

Crash of a Grumman SA-16B Albatross off Cabo de Palos: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 19, 1974
Operator:
Registration:
AN.1A-1
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
G-148
YOM:
1952
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Mediterranean sea off Cabo de Palos. All eight crew members were killed.

Crash of a Grumman SA-16A Albatross near Las Palmas

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1973 at 0730 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AD.1-5
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Las Palmas – Jerez de la Frontera
MSN:
G-56
YOM:
1951
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The seaplane departed Las Palmas-Gando Airport at 0655LT bound for Jerez de la Frontera. Few minutes later, the crew informed ATC about an engine failure and was eventually forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a rocky field and was damaged beyond repair. A crew member was slightly injured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.